A GOPAL NAIDU Vs. STATE OF KARNATAKA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) These petitions are disposed of by a common order since a common questions arise for consideration in all the petitions.

(2.) The petitioner is the proprietor of a Cinema Theatre known as 'Sujatha Theatre' and he has challenged the correctness and the validity of the orders made by the Labour Court, Bangalore on certain applications made by the workmen employed by him under Section 33C(2) of the Industrial Disputes Act (in short the I.D.Act) and certain awards made by the very same Labour Court on references made by the State Government referring the disputes raised by his workmen touching the validity of the termination of their services. Though these petitions were filed in the year 1980, they were not disposed of even after a lapse of nearly 8 years on account of some confusion in the submissions made by the learned Advocate for the petitioner that these matters had been referred to a Division Bench. When these petitions were posted before the Division Bench, the Division Bench after looking into the records found that there was no order of reference by this Court referring these Writ Petitions to a Division Bench and accordingly by its order dated 14-8-1984 the Division Bench directed the office to the place the records before the Hon'ble Chief Justice for securing appropriate orders for posting the same before a learned single Judge. Accordingly these matters have come up before this Court for the final disposal.

(3.) The principal contention taken by the petitioner in these petitions is that the Labour Court had no jurisdiction either to entertain the applications under Section 33C(2) of the I.D.Act or to adjudicate the references made by the State Government under the provisions of Section 10(1)(c) of the Act.